Book Review

From Amazon:

Mindfulness offers a path to well-being and tools for coping with life's inevitable hurdles. And though mindfulness may sound exotic, you can cultivate it--and reap its proven benefits--without special training or lots of spare time. Trusted therapist and mindfulness expert Dr. Ronald Siegel shows exactly how in this inviting guide. You'll get effective strategies to use while driving to work, walking the dog, or washing the dishes, plus tips on creating a formal practice routine in as little as 20 minutes a day. Flexible, step-by-step action plans will help you become more focused and efficient in daily life; cope with difficult feelings, such as anger and sadness; deepen your connection to your spouse or partner; feel more rested and less stressed; curb unhealthy habits; find relief from anxiety and depression; and resolve stress-related pain, insomnia, and other physical problems.

I like how this book is organized. It's divided into two parts. If you want a quick introduction to mindfulness just read Part 1. (it's only about 100 pages). After reading this first part you will have a thorough understanding of how to practice mindfulness and the health benefits that can be obtained from doing so.

But if you want to go into more depth, as I did, there's another couple hundred pages to savor. And there are so many new concepts to explore by reading further like the nature of ego, acceptance, non-judgment, non-resistance, and non-attachment – not to mention the specific health benefits mindfulness infers like lowering intensity and incidences of depression, anxiety, stress and chronic pain.

Ron is the perfect spokesperson for mindfulness. He lives and breathes this stuff. He can write about the philosophy of mindfulness and he can write about the subtleties of its practice. I guarantee you won't be disappointed by his book. There are even a few places where I laughed out loud. Ron really cares about his readers and the people he teaches. He wants them to get mindfulness but he understands how tricky it is to really understand some of these esoteric concepts. So he's always quick to circle around and repeat what he's already said in another way that hopefully covers those people who missed it the first time.

Ron is a rare combination of someone who knows his subject like a scientist, but who writes to be understood – like a writer – and you the reader are the person who stands to benefit from his abundance of personal wisdom.

Quick Stress Tips

Take a Shower at the End of the Day Instead of the Beginning

It feels great, it helps you relax, you don't have to rush through it and (we promise) you won't get dirty over night. When you flip flop this activity around it will free up an extra 20-30 minutes in the morning when you need it most.